Collective resignation from Råde Frp

Collective resignation from Råde Frp due to Leirstein

The entire board and municipality committee of Råde Progress Party (Frp) resigned from the party in a protest of the reactions to the warning cases involving Ulf Leirstein.

Ten of the party tops in Råde Frp on Sunday announced that they are leaving the party. In a joint press release, they write that they have followed the handling of the reports from the county party group and the Frp centrally closely, and have been disappointed that the matters have not been handled more seriously.

– One is more obsessed with obscuring than to clean up a bad culture that has been warned against for years. We can not commend the handling (…) and do not want to be associated with that type of action or to campaign in support of such attitudes, the press release states, which is rereported by Moss Avis. The case was first mentioned by Fredriksstad Blad.

– We have received feedback from the whistle blowers that they have not received any reactions from the party in the aftermath. Everyone knows that warning, even anonymously, is a very tough decision, and therefore we are concerned that they will perceive that there are grownups who see not only recognize them and take them seriously, says former deputy chairperson in Råde Frp, Frederikke Stensrød, to NTB

Leaves for the Conservative Party

The long running Frp representative, Ulf Leirstein from Østfold, retired earlier this year from his position in the parliamentary group and admitted having excercised poor judgment after NRK revealed that he had sent eposts containing porn to young boys in the youth organization (FpU), as well as sending text messages to a woman indicating that he wanted to have triangle sex involving a 15 year old boy.

In the press release, the local politicians accuse the party of letting the youth down by putting their heads in the sand and to protect a grown up parliamentary representative in front of the youngsters who has spoke up. The local politicians say that they fear for the recruitment of youngsters to the party in the future.

Stensrød will not put names to who she believes has failed in the follow-up of the warnings.

– It is about the complete picture, both from the county and central comittee, she says.

All the ten former Frp members now report a move to the Conservatives, another party among many that has been criticized for the handling of warning cases. Stensrød says they nevertheless think the Conservatives have handled their warning cases far better than Frp.

– We feel that the Conservatives has been taking this more seriously and distanced themselves from those who have transgressed much more than Frp has done, she says.

The decision to leave was taken during an extended board meeting with municipal council representatives present on Sunday.

Safe in the Progress Party

Leader of the Frp organizing committee, Helge Andre Njåstad, writes in an email to NTB that he notices the resignations.

– Frp has treated the Leirstein case with the utmost seriousness and he has withdrawn from all positions of trust. It has to be be safe to be a member of the Progress Party, and we are adament on a good organizational culture, writes Njåstad.

The leader in Østfold Frp, Leif Eriksen, says to Aftenposten that he has not heard anything from the local party in Råde before their resignation.

– It’s always sad when people leave. But we live in a democracy and it is free for people to choose what they do.

Are you satisfied with the leadership’s handling of the case?

– I think it is handled very well. I do not think we are doing any worse than the other political parties, says Eriksen.

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